Reversing mechanism for engines.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

0. E. MACK.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1902.

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No. 726,443. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.. .G. E. MACK.

REVERSING MEGHANISM FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION TILED APB. 19, 1902.

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CHARLES E. MACK, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES D. BOYNTON, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSING. MECHANISM FOR ENGINES,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter-s Pat nt NO. 726,443, dated. April. 28, 1903. Application filed April 19,1902. Serial No. 103,680. o model.)

[[ all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Mechanism for Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 0th- I0 ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an arrangement or combination of features whereby the action of reversing the operation of a steam-engine is accomplishedwithout the use of the usual links and accessory parts.

The presentarrangement consists of a fou rway valve connected at one point with the steam-supply pipe from the boiler, having two steam connections at right angles thereto, with the steam-chest, and an exhaust-outlet directly opposite said inlet.

It consists, further, in the peculiar arrangement of the slide-valve located in the steamchest, which valve in this case is made hollow, with two ports on either side directly opposite each otherand adapted to register with theinletand exhaust portsin the steamchest cylinder in such a manner that the motion of 50 the engine is changed at will by the turning of the four-way valve and allowing the steam to take either of the two courses, one to cause the forward and the other the backward motion.

The operation of the parts is morefully described in the following specification, and the details of construction are clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is the end view of the cylinder and steam-chest, partlyin cross-section, (through X X of Fig. 2,) showing my complete reversing deviceconnected therewith. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 show diagrams of the steam-chest with the valve in all the positions attained during the complete forward and backward .stroke. Fig. 7isa sectional view of the steamchest. Fig. 8 is a plan view of my complete device, showing the reversing-valve in section. Fig. 9 shows the reversing-valve in section and set to operate in the opposite direction from that shown inFig. 8. Fig. lOshows the slide-valve in detail. Fig.11 is a sectional view on line X X, Fig.10.

A is the cylinder of the engine. B is the stem-chest, connected to said cylinder by the usual ports, and in the present case is circular in cross-section, having a central opening Z) leading into it from its top and a like central opening I)" at its side in vertical alinement with the top opening. This steam-chest is formed with two ports I) and b on the one side leading to the engine-cylinder and one port b on the other side directly opposite a point midway. of said ports. 0 is a slidevalve adapted to fitnicelyin said steam-chest. It also is mainly circular in cross-section and is formed with a flat upper surfacec, thereby forming one side of a steam-space inside of the steam-chest beneath the central opening 1) and directly above the flat face of the valve. This slide-valve is formed with ports 0, two on either side, directly opposite to each other and adapted to register with the ports in the steam-chest.

, D is the boiler in which the steam is generat-ed and from which the supply is received. A piped, leading therefrom, enters the reversing-valve E at point 1. This reversingvalve E comprises a casing which is substantially dish form and has four equidistant out- So lets 1, 2, I3, and 4 leading from the central opening or valve-seat. The valve F is adapted to fit in this dish-like casing and is formed with twodiametrically opposite groovesfin its periphery, partly encircling its diameter and in alinement with said openings 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each of these ports is adapted to register with two of'said openings in the valvecasing at right angles with each other. For

instance, in Fig. 8 the piped, leading into through the portfand out of the opening 2. A pipe d is connected to said opening 2 and leads to the top central opening I) in the steam-chest. The steam entering the steamchest through this pipe at its top will pass through port 79 (see Fig. 2) and entering the cylinder A through the port connecting it with the steam-chest and the exhaust will enter the port I) in the direction of the arrow and pass through the port 0 of the valve which registers with said port 19 and will pass through the hollow valve and out of port 0 at the other end of the valve and at the opposite side which now registers with port 19 in the steam-chest. This port I) is connected to the reversing-valve E through a pipe d which leads to the opening 3 in said reversing-valve, and the exhaust-steam entering there will travel through the port f, registering with said openings 3 and 4. and passing out through the exhaust-pipe d connected to said reversing-valve at the outlet 4.

Should it be desired to reverse the action of the engine, the valve F is given a quarterturn in the casing E in the direction indicated by the arrow V. This turning of the valve will cause the portf, which now registers with openings 1 and 2 in the casing, to register with the openings 1 and 3, and consequently the port directly opposite it, instead of registering with openings 3 and 4 will then register with 4 and 2. The steam now entering the valve from the pipe at at the opening 1 will exit at3 (see Fig. 9) and pass through the pipe 61 and entering the steamchest at the side opening Z). The steam entering at this point will pass through the port b in the steam-chest and also through the port 0 of the valve registering with it and pass out through the port 0 on the opposite side at the other end thereof, which registers with the port 79 in the steam-chest, and thence into the cylinder, Fig. 6. The exhaust from the cylinder in this case will enter the port 11 of the steam-chest and exit through the top central opening I), passing through the pipe (1 leading therefrom, entering the reversing-valve E at 2, and exit through 4.-.

It will be noticed that my present construction dispenses entirely with the use of the usual links and their connections for accomplishing the reversing of the motion of an engine. In other Words, the action in the present case is what is ordinarily termed direct motion that is, the steam is fed directly from the boiler to the slide-valve, and the only interruption in its course from the boiler to the slide-valve in the present case is caused by the reversing-valve E. As just explained, this valve is so constructed that the turning of it in its casing, thereby changing the course of the steam into the steam-chest, is the only action necessary to reverse the movement of the engine.

The diagrams shown in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, show the slide-valve in the different positions it attains in the course of the complete forward and rearward passage therein. In Fig. 2 the arrow indicates the passage of the steam therethrough while the engine is running in one direction. In Fig. 6 the arrows show the direction of the course of the steam therethrough while running in the opposite direction.

It is evident that in reversing the action of the engine by means of my valve E the effect is instantaneous, and by reason of the construction of the slide-valve and steam-chest there is no jarring produced by said reversing or changing of the course of the steam.

The present invention is equally applicable to a single or double engine, though of course in the case of the single engine by reason of the single eccentric should the course of the steam be changed by the reversing of the valve E at either end of the stroke-that is, on dead-center-the reverse motion will not be attained simultaneously, as the valve will have to be assisted by a slight move in the direction required;

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent, is

1. A reversing mechanism for steam-engines comprising steam-chest having top and side inlets, a hollow valve located therein having two ports on either side thereof and a flat top surface, steam connections to said inlets in the steam-chest and a four-way valve connected with said steam connections at opposite sides, said valve having a steam connection to the boilerand an exhaust-outlet therefrom directly opposite said boiler connection.

2. A steam-chest comprising a cylindrical body having top and side steam-inlets, two ports on the side opposite said side steam-inlet adapted to lead into the engine-cylinder in combination with a hollow valve havinga flat upper surface and two ports on either side thereof directly opposite each other adapted to register with said side inlet and portsin the steam-chest.

3. A hollow slide-valve mainly cylindrical in cross-section having a fiat upper surface and two ports cut through the Wall thereof directly opposite each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES E. MACK.

W'itnesses:

En. A. KELLY, Gno. M. MILLER. 

